You will need to sign on with your LLLID (La Leche League ID) before you can post. If you have never claimed your LLLID, create your LLLID now. To sign in, click the LLLID Sign On button in the upper right corner. Enter your LLLID Alias and click the button again.

How much solid food is too much?

Just looking for some guidance on how much solids i should offer my LO, who will be 9 months old this week.
I am doing BLS, only helping him to spoon feed really messy stuff like yogurt. He normally nurses about 8 times a day, although right now it is more like 10-12 times, as he is in the middle of a big growth spurt. He is a big strong boy, 23 pounds 31" tall and VERY ACTIVE. He has not gained much weight since his 6 month check up, he was a chunky 22 pounds then, so I am trying to nurse and feed him as much as he wants.

Recently he is showing a real interest in solids and I feel like he wants to eat quite a lot, but I know solids should not interfere with nursing at this age. I used to just give him little bits of food, but am experimenting with how much he will eat if allowed to. This morning (after nursing) I offered him 1/2 a fresh pear and he ate it all, 1 slice of cheese, which he also ate, then 1/3 of a banana, which he ate most of. At dinner he ate 1/2 an avocado. I just put the food on his tray and let him do what he likes with it.

Is this too much for his age? Or is it ok to follow his lead and feed him more?
Also, I have heard it is ok to offer small amounts (2-3oz) of whole cow or goats milk once in a while in addition to nursing after 9 months old, is this true?

Re: How much solid food is too much?

No. It's not true. No other animal milk until after the year point. Their digestive tract is not ready for it straight. Other Dairy like yogurt and are fine but no straight milk. I also would really really limit cheese at this age because there is usually a ton of salt in it and their livers can't process salt before the year point. I would not experiment with how MUCH as in "eat till he won't" because you don't want him to think that is normal behavior. There is a difference between eating until you aren't hungry and eating until you are FULL. Also when babies start to eat solids they usually as they up their consumption, end up with some level of constipation. And dairy and bananas are both known constipators. So you want to be really conscious of that. I don't think half a pear, 1 third of a banana, a piece of cheese and avacado is "too much" per say, but I would be worried that that combination of foods would back him up. By this age my son was usually at least twice a day. And for me it wasn't so much about quantity as it was about offering a wide variety. I would always put at least 3-5 DIFFERENT things on his plate so that he felt like he had lots of choices. It's not "Too much" unless it interferes with nursing OR causes constipation. And when constipation DOES occur the only thing to do is back off solids, nurse more and feed P fruits. Pears, peaches, prunes and plums.

Re: How much solid food is too much?

Your LO sounds a lot like my DS in the growth department I've always operated under the assumption that as long as solids are not interfering with nursing it's not to much. I try to nurse before feeding any solids and if all of a sudden they start refusing nursing we back way off on the table food. It sounds like you are offering solids twice a day? I definatly wouldn't offer any more than that for a while. DD is almost 1 and just went to a "snack" for breakfast in addition to her lunch and dinner. In our family, though I know some people have different thoughts on this, meal time is more about together time than the food necessairly. When everyone else is done baby is done too even if they seem to still be picking at the food. I've found this helps with the difference between satisfied vs FULL like djs.mom was saying.

djs.mom do you have any links for research on the animal milk thing? I know I've heard this before but haven't done any reading on it. I *think* in the UK they say cows milk is ok after 10 months?

Married to my High School sweetheart 5-15-04

SAHM to: born 6/1/10 tongue and lip ties nursed 13 months with sore nipples and mutually agreed it was time to quit! born all natural 1/27/12 nursed for 16 months and lost interest 1/1/14 born all natural 11/4/14 nursing like a champ and growing like a weed!

Re: How much solid food is too much?

Thanks for the input. I will hold off on the milk (and cheese) until he is at least one. I was just wondering because it is impossible to nurse him in public these days, and it would be nice to have an alternative in case I run out of expressed milk to give him, and I don't want to use formula.
I do realize it is a bad idea to try to stuff him full of food, he just seems so hungry all the time lately that I worry if he is getting enough to eat. Nursing every couple of hours day and night is wearing me out, his growth spurts always do.

I do try to offer a good variety, and I love the idea of putting several different things on his plate for him to chose from, but every time I try that he stuffs a whole bunch in his mouth at once, then seems to get frustrated. He bangs his hands on the tray, throws the food all over the floor, yanks off his bib and dinner is over. So one food at a time works best for him.

Re: How much solid food is too much?

Yeah it's exhausting but it's what's best for him and it's what is going to make sure he is growing on his curve and if his antics are that bad I would just feed him before and after trips. It's only 4 3 more months.